Earlier this month, John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, stated Twitter is “working on an experience” for Google Glass. Originally discovered by developer Jonathan Gottfried, an image was recently posted to Twitter from user @MogroothMuddler, using the hashtag #throughglass. According to the screenshot Jonathan took, the image was shared using a “Twitter for Glass” function or app.

Shortly after word got out, the account responsible for the photo was deleted. Twitter has yet to announce an official Google Glass app, and when asked about the tweet, had no comment. It is also a little suspicious that the account which posted the photo using “Twitter for Glass”, had no profile information.

Although, if you are an employee testing a product that has yet to be officially announced, drawing attention is at the bottom of the list, unless of course this is all part of Twitter’s plan.

It is not uncommon for companies to intentionally “leak” information, but is also not uncommon for employees to accidentally slip up. Confirmed to be running on Android, apps have already been developed for Google Glass.

While we can’t yet confirm an official Twitter app, several apps for Glass (including Path, Evernote, and The New York Times) were shown off at SXSW in March.

]]>http://www.androidauthority.com/twitter-google-glass-app-200230/feed/0How to take apart the Galaxy S4, put it back together [video]http://www.androidauthority.com/take-apart-galaxy-s4-put-back-together-199600/
http://www.androidauthority.com/take-apart-galaxy-s4-put-back-together-199600/#commentsMon, 29 Apr 2013 20:55:01 +0000http://www.androidauthority.com/?p=199600

The Galaxy S4 is now available from many top carriers and, as with any smartphone, there comes the risk of breaking something, typically the screen. Unfortunately, the Galaxy S4 has not performed well in drop tests. In our most recent drop test, it did not hold up to the build quality of the iPhone 5. This is a little disappointing considering the display features Gorilla Glass 3.

However, in somewhat good news, the Galaxy S4 is easy to repair, scoring an 8 out of 10 in iFixit’s teardown. While having your phone repaired under warranty is ideal, if you do ever end up having to replace the screen, digitizer, camera, USB port, etc. yourself, Max Lee from HighOnAndroid has you covered.

Before getting started, you will need a Philips #00 screwdriver, and plastic prying tool. Both can be purchased for several bucks or less on Amazon. To get started, remove the cover, and pull out the battery. Then, simply unscrew all nine screws.

Once you have removed all nine screws, use the plastic pry tool along the entire edge of the phone, starting at the volume buttons. This will help to pop the frame off, revealing the hardware inside.

With the frame removed, it is now time to remove the motherboard. Unplug all connectors, and unscrew the black screw on the top right that is holding the motherboard in place.

At this point, the motherboard should come off with very little effort. If you just need to replace the camera, you can skip removing the motherboard.

To replace the screen, and digitizer, you first need to remove all the sensors on the top. Also, there is a vibrating motor on the left, and the 3.5mm headphone jack on the right.

In some cases, you will need to remove the USB board due to space constraints.

From there, you can replace the screen, and digitizer. Once completed, simply follow these steps in reverse to put the Galaxy S4 back together.

If you are planning on picking up the Galaxy S4, make sure to check out our full review. The U.S. version doesn’t feature the Exynos 5 Octa, but that still did not keep it from performing very well in benchmarks. While not as elegantly designed as the HTC One, the Galaxy S4 could be the right choice for you.

Over the past two weeks, developers have been receiving their pair of Google Glass after nearly a year of wanting. One of the most vocal supporters of Glass has been Robert Scoble. Glancing at Robert’s Google+ profile, there is no shortage of posts with the hashtag #throughglass. After using Google Glass for two weeks, he posted a review sharing his thoughts.

Robert claims that Glass is significant, and even went so far to say “I will never live a day of my life from now on without it (or a competitor).” After giving several speeches, and letting hundreds of people try Google Glass, responses were pretty consistent. “Wow”, “amazing”, or “stunning” were several words that came to mind. As far as responding to your voice, accuracy is very good, and Robert says “It’s the first product that literally everyone could use with voice”.

The camera is not good in low-light situations, but you can snap photos or start recording video almost instantly. This is particularly good for special moments that last just a matter of seconds. With early adopters having to shell out $1500, one of the biggest questions has been how much will Google Glass cost once available to consumers. After polling several audiences, the $200 to $300 range seemed to be the sweet spot, with some saying they’d buy if it cost around $500.

In recent months, the next-generation eyewear has already been banned from various establishments, citing privacy concerns. According to Robert, those concerns “just didn’t show up”. There was only one experience where a person did not want to speak with him while wearing Google Glass. For some, a camera pointing at them is just a little nerve racking, even if not on.

However, the bulk of these experiences were gathered at technology conferences. Other situations involving less tech savvy friends, and individuals, would be a better gauge of average people’s reactions. Currently, the biggest hurdle that Google currently faces is the price point. That, and getting over the stigma of having a computer with a camera, attached to your face. To that point, even Google’s own Eric Schmidt admits that talking to Google Glass can be weird.

We are almost due for the next version of Android, which is typically announced annually at Google I/O. According to Android Police founder Artem Russakovskii, the next version will be 4.3 Jelly Bean, and not 5.0 Key Lime Pie as previously expected. There are several reasons leading to this conclusion, the first of which involves server logs.

Artem discovered multiple instances of the Nexus 7, and Nexus 4 running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Making sure the logs were not faked, he traced the IP addresses. Where did they end up? To no surprise, Google, and two different IP ranges related to Google employees.

Digging deeper, the Chromium code site has received several comments in the past couple days from a developer by the username aruslan, revealing JWR23B as a build number. This is the same build number found in Android Police’s server logs.

Artem further makes two great points, backing up his claims:

Google doesn’t assign version numbers to Android releases until a short time before they’re set to be unveiled. We’re talking weeks or a couple of months max. Google does not assign version numbers to internal/test releases. Those are usually called something like JellyBeanMR1 and then assigned proper versions number when they’re close to release.

It’s definitely a little strange to see another Jelly Bean variant, but we’re interested to see what comes of it. As with any rumor, you should take this with the proper amount of levity. However, the evidence does have us scratching our heads. With Google I/O less than three weeks away, we look forward to getting the full scoop.

What do you think? Will there be a Key Lime Pie, or will we simply see another Jelly Bean build?

Last week, some Google Glass specs were officially posted on Google’s support website. Thanks to developer Jay Lee, we have received even more details on what is powering the next-generation technology. After developer Liam McLoughlin posted on Twitter saying Google Glass was easy to root, Jay tested the claim to much success, capturing the following info:

While it was previously known to be running on a custom version of Android, we now know the TI OMAP 4430 is onboard. It is unknown if the processor is dual-core, as there were issues figuring out the exact speed. When it comes to RAM, Jay found 682MB available. After reading kernel messages, he believes there is in fact 1GB of RAM total, with the missing portion going towards another hardware function (the OS, maybe).

Jay posted the full text files, and you can view them in Google Drive. Over the past week, developers who paid $1500 at I/O last year have started receiving their Google Glass units. So far, feedback has been relatively positive. Glass obviously has a few issues, as does anything so forward-thinking. Issues with joining a WiFi network or with displaying text have been reported, but we’re sure those will be worked out in short order with so many developers on board.

At the party, developers will be able to chat with members of Facebook’s Android team, learn about apps, and receive FB swag, which includes a special t-shirt. Each day during Google I/O, Facebook will give away a MacBook Air to one lucky developer wearing the t-shirt given out during the party.

Facebook also announced its attendance to the AnDevCon Boston conference in late May, where it will give a keynote. Moreover, Facebook’s engineers will hold three classes dedicated to Android. From Facebook’s official blog post: “We’ll talk about why we built Home, how we designed its UI, and how we optimized battery and data usage. We’ll have a few technical deep dives, and will share some insights about how we built the product to be centered around people.”

We look forward to seeing what Google announces at I/O, and are glad to see Facebook further embracing the Android community. Will you be attending I/O or AnDevCon?

In April 2012, Motorola claimed Microsoft was infringing on several of its patents with their Xbox 360. The ITC sided with the claims, issuing a preliminary ruling. In June, Motorola offered a settlement to Microsoft, asking 50 cents for each sold copy of Windows, and a 2.25 percent royalty fee on every Xbox 360 sold.

Microsoft found the settlement unreasonable, the ITC sent back the case to Judge David P. Shaw. In November, a bench trial officially began, further reviewing Motorola’s claims, and assessing the validity of its licensing fees. Now, a judge has ruled that Motorola’s patents are worth significantly less than the total $4 billion in licensing fees.

The patents in question related to 802.11 Wi-Fi, and H.264 video protocols. According to the ruling, it was determined the proper rate for the H.264 video patents was 0.555 cents on each product sold, with a maximum of 16.389 cents. For the 802.11 patents, it was 3.471 cents on every Xbox 360 sold. For any other devices, the fee was 0.8 cents per product sold, with a maximum of 19.5 cents. While Motorola originally wanted $4 billion in licensing fees, the court reduced that number to just $1,797,554.

From Microsoft corporate vice president David Howard:

This decision is good for consumers because it ensures patented technology committed to standards remains affordable for everyone.

Motorola has yet to issue an official statement, but we hope to be hearing something very soon. While the ruling may be disappointing for Motorola, it’s actually good for patent litigation. The era of big settlements, like the Samsung vs. Apple decision(s), is coming to a close… and that’s only going to drive innovation.

T-Mobile announced their new, no-contract Simple Choice Plans last month. While there are technically no contracts, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson discovered the carrier was failing to disclose important information. Because of this, T-Mobile has now entered into a court-ordered agreement.

From the official press release:

[quote qtext=”Today, the Attorney General’s Office filed a court order signed by T-Mobile and effective nationwide that will ensure the company clearly communicates the limitations of its new “no-contract” wireless service plans and allows customers duped by the deceptive ads to exit their contracts with no penalty.” qperson=”” qsource=”” qposition=”center”]

Under the new no-contract plans, a phone can cost up to $20 per month over 24 months. This is on top of the cost of a data plan, and how T-Mobile makes their money back after selling phones for just $99 or $199.

However, if you decide to cancel your service, you are required to pay for the phone in-full. According to the Attorney General’s Office, this is simply a different kind of two-year agreement, and should have been disclosed in a more direct manner. If you bought a new phone or service from T-Mobile between March 26, and April 25, you can receive a full refund by calling the carrier at 1-877-746-0909.

To make matters worse, T-Mobile is required to contact all customers who purchased between those dates, and “advise them of their right to cancel and obtain a refund”.

Starting today, Docs, Sheets, and Slides in Google Drive will automatically sync for offline use. Also, you can now create, and edit drawings while offline. Google says these new features will roll out to users over the next few days. Forgetting to make certain files available offline is an easy task, and now users won’t have to worry about that happening again.

In order to take advantage of the new offline syncing, you must have offline access enabled in Google Drive.

Once you’ve enabled offline access, you can simply head to the website to access your important files. Currently, Chrome or Chrome OS is required in order to access files offline. Earlier today, Google announced other features to Drive such as profile pictures pulled in from Google+, group chat, and animal related profile pictures for anonymous users.

User photos are much more prominent now, and when you scroll over someone’s photo, you’re met with the same pop-up from Google+. From there, you can add them directly to a circle. For developers, earlier this month Google Drive introduced app data folders, and the ability to add custom permissions to files.